Loss

Lessa woke to the feeling of sorrow. She sat up. Abel was asleep on the floor of what appeared to be a cave. She could sense Jessie outside the cave. The sorrow was coming from further inside the cave. Lessa rose quietly and walked to the rear of the cave. What greeted her made her heart ache. There in the center, on a stone, lay a still Admar. Even from here she could tell he was dead. Next to it sat Novanus, and the floor in front of him was slick with his blood tears. She walked up to him and hugged him.
"Oh, Novanus, I'm sorry," Lessa said in a whisper. Lessa sat down at his side facing him. She lay a hand on his arm, at which he winced. "Novanus, what's wrong with your arm?" Lessa drew back the sleeve before he could protest. Lessa sighed. "They touched you, didn't they?" "How did you know?" "Because they touched me, too, but with my blood the wound healed long ago. The chains that bind…" "What?" Novanus asked, looking at her. She explained, "Oh, it's nothing. They bound me with chains in my mind." Lessa slit her wrist and offered it to Novanus. "Go on, drink. It will take the pain from your arm, and you need blood, my friend." Novanus looked at her and saw that she would not take a 'no' and, in truth, he did feel weak. He had not slept in case the Nerayan tried to take him over again. He took her wrist and drank deeply. He could feel it flow through him quickly. The pain in his arm began to subside, then it finally went away completely. He continued to drink and Lessa made no protest. He stopped finally and she withdrew her hand. Already the wound began to knit closed. Lessa put her arm around him and just held him. He was still weary.
"Sleep, Novanus," Lessa said to him. "But I can not. The Nerayan will try to take me," he replied, but his eyes were so heavy. "They will not get you. I will sing the song that kept me sane. It does not work so well if they are already in your mind, but if they are not, then it creates a barrier of light in your mind," Lessa replied.
Lessa began the song. It was a quiet song with a sweet melody. Novanus had heard it long ago. It was a song of the Ancients. Novanus drifted off to sleep. In his mind, in the astral plane, he could see the Pillars and the black cloud beyond. In front of the cloud was a shimmering barrier, all colors and light. The Nerayan could not get through. He could still hear Lessa. His astral self lay down to rest. He knew he was safe and he thanked Lessa for the rest she gave him.
Lessa sang the song quietly while Novanus had gone to a deep restful sleep. She looked to the body of Admar and wished him well. In her hand she created a ball of green flame, the Ignis Fatuus. She sent it at Admar's body and instantly it began to burn, but no smell of smoke came from it. Soon he had turned to ash. Now he would not be raised like those that had killed him. Lessa lay back, holding Novanus, and continued to sing.

Gadorian walked back to the clearing where his friends had earlier been. Signs of a terrible struggle were left. Blood and bodies littered the field. Gadorian ran his fingers over a deep impression in the bloodstained snow. The pain of death stung through his hand and up into his heart. The death was fresh. Sensing the other vampires, Gadorian eventually made his way to the cave where the group had assembled. As he went further, the light failed to make its way all the way to him, yet he did not adjust his eyes for the dark. He was afraid to see the condition the group was in, ashamed.
Upon finding Lessa, Gadorian was told the whole story. The violence, the struggle, the death of Admar. Yet again, he was absent at a most crucial time. Yet again, he had failed the humans he was created to protect. He would redeem himself. "It's time. The fated hour approaches, and if we do not rise to meet it, we shall be swallowed in the coming tide of misery. The seal must be renewed, and the Nerayan banished. We will go north...to Dark Eden."
No being, living or undead, had returned from Dark Eden long enough to tell of its horrors since the Pillars' corruption. The few who made it out of those scorched fields soon fell victim to disease or madness, and the most unfortunate found themselves mutated into horrific monstrosities. The land and its inhabitants were the closest thing the Nerayan had to a physical body in Nosgoth, and they were to plunge willingly towards its dark, throbbing heart.
Novanus would have to lead them through the labyrinth deep inside the blackened earth, until finally the Sword and its guardians would face their destiny. Then the real fight would begin. While Gadorian and Izael would take their separate Paths to end this madness once and for all, those left outside would face the greatest battle they had ever, or would ever, know. The Nerayan, knowing their time was running out, would fight with the ferocity of a cornered animal. If the others could not hold them off long enough, Gadorian and Izael might end up saving a pitiful black shell.

Jessie stood guard near the entrance of the cave. The sense of sadness over losing Admar had been replaced by a fierce desire for vengeance. Jessie paced furiously back and forth, almost wishing for more of the Berathia to appear so that she could annihilate them. After a little while, the fury passed as well. She was left with a cold sense of purpose. She knew what had to be done and she would not waver. Gadorian came out of the cave to see how she was doing. Earlier, he had been so intent on discovering who had died that he hadn't even noticed her. One look at his face and Jessie knew what he was planning. "Dark Eden?" she asked. Gadorian merely nodded. Jessie said to him with grim determination, "We will not fail. We can't fail. I won't allow it." Gadorian smiled at her determination. He hoped she had the power to back up her words.

"Please don't go, who will I talk to?" "I will see you again, little Brother..."
"Promise...?" "I promise." The visage of the teary-eyed, black-haired boy dissipated in a flurry of black feathers, the calling of ravens piercing through the echoing sobs of the disappearing youth. "DON'T LEAVE ME!" …

Abel snapped awake with a startled shout that ricocheted off of the walls, raking his claws along the cold floor of the cave where he had been placed, gripping the ground and staring up with widened eyes in the sudden fear. Why the ravens, why the omen of death and his brother's tears? The kindred closed his eyes, trying to calm his heaving, and still stinging, breath. There was something dreadfully wrong. He had to find his brother...soon.

Novanus awoke from his slumber to find Lessa still gently singing her ancient lullaby, although her eyes were beginning to hang heavy. "Rest Lessa, rest." The female vampire smiled, and gently drifted off to sleep. He sat up and stared around the cave he was in. Its walls emitted an eerie glow which suffused everything within with a cold blue light. Something was missing. He couldn't quite place it. His eyes searched every nook and cranny of the cave until they fell upon the bier which had supported Admar's lifeless body. He was gone, his dark ashes the only trace that he had ever been there. Lessa had incinerated his body. Only safe to do so with the threat of the Nerayan hanging over their heads, but none-the-less, Novanus felt a pang of guilt and anger that he had not witnessed the event.
The cloven footed vampire walked over to the bier and scooped up what he could of Admar's ashes. He then proceeded outside, walking past the slumbering forms of Gadorian, Jessie, Izael and Abel. With out a sound, Novanus levitated slowly to the top of the cliff into which the cave was set. His mind was still terribly weak from his encounter with the Nerayan, although he would never have admitted it to any of the others. When he reached the peak, he turned to face the spreading landscaped. Cupping Admar's ashes in his hands he gently lifted them to his face and blew them into the air. He called quietly to the dissipating ashes, "Goodbye my dear, dear friend. May you find more peace now than you ever did in life." Novanus turned to descend the rock face and although it may only have been the wind whistling past his ears, Novanus could have sworn that he heard Admar's voice whisper, "Goodbye, my Lord."

Izael opened his eyes. Obviously he had slept without intending it. He looked around. He was in a small cave. Everyone but Novanus and Admar were there too, looking quite sad and exhausted. Izael tried to rise, but fell back to the floor. Obviously his leg had been broken, too, and was not yet fully healed. He looked around and saw Lessa. She was asleep, but looked calm. Had the Nerayan curse left her body? Izael couldn't tell. He crawled to the back of the cave, so that he could lean against the cave wall. He whispered to Gadorian, who seemed to be the only one not sleeping besides Abel and Jessie, but Izael didn't know these newcomers well enough, and felt like he had nothing to say to them. "Gad? Gad! What's going on?"
Gadorian walked over to Izael, looking quite relieved to see he was ok. The vampire searched Admar's backpack for a while, and then took out a small package from there and threw it to Izael. "There, Admar's food rations. He won't be needing them anymore, and I don't think Novanus will mind." "What do you mean?" Gadorian sat next to Izael and explained what had happened. Izael felt empty. It was sad that Admar had to die, but Izael never had the chance to befriend the old trader and thus was unable to mourn him. After he had eaten, Izael used his healing magic and soon felt ready to take on anything. Seeing Izael's new strength and determination, Gadorian started walking towards the entrance to the cave, gesturing for Izael to follow. "Come, there are a few things you must learn. Dark times are ahead of us, and you must be made ready for your greatest test."

Lent sat alone in the corner. He had kept quiet to himself for awhile now, conserving his energy for the trials ahead. He took this moment to sharpen his axes. It was the sense of dread that compelled him to do so. The warrior's sense, an instinct that predators have, that a hunt is coming; and Lent knew, with a certainty that he couldn't explain, that this party was the one being hunted. A pair of boots stepped in front of him, and Lent looked up to see Izael's form. "Sit, savior." Izael sat down, "Don't call me that, I hate that. Saint Lent." "We all hate the titles we are given." "Do you trust me?" Izael asked. "Yes, blindly I trust you. We're forced to trust one another because if we don't we're all sure to fall." "Why didn't you tell me Kain was in the temple before?" "It wasn't important. Kain is not your ally. Although your heritage lies in vampire roots, Kain is... divine." "Divine? I thought all vampires were gods in your eyes." "Of course not. With the exception of the ancients, vampires were once human. Kain is different." "How?" "Izael, beings are attacking our very minds, and you're asking me about my faith? Why don't you tell me what's really on your mind?" "The Sarafan Lord visited my dreams. He said the vampires weren't my savior." "They're not." Izael looked at him. "You are our savior now, Izael," Lent said, smiling. Izael asked, "And Kain?" "Kain is my god. You can believe whatever you wish about him." "Did he doom the world?" "Of course not, it was already doomed. He will save it, but you and I will not live to see that day. Let us hope we can live to see a day with out these Nerayan."
Izael shook Lent's hand and made his way back to Gadorian. Lent could tell that Izael had strong feelings for him, almost like he was his vampire father. Who could blame him? Lent managed to smile to himself, but then felt Jessie's cold eyes upon him.
He had seen her with them for awhile now, but didn't bother to question or speak to her. She didn't smell human, and clearly not vampiric. If he had to guess, she was not of this world. Her eyes didn't leave him, and she was probably curious as to what he was doing here. "Whatever," Lent thought, "She's not my concern." Lent continued to sharpen his axes, preparing for the upcoming battle ahead.

"My apologies, Deva. We mean no disrespect." Kour's words were sincere, even if he was a little more than upset at being "caught off guard" and in such a way as this. If the two of them ever got out of here, he would never hear the end of it.

Deva? The creature hadn't heard that name in a long time. She walked closer to Kour, her face a little more serious and her steps more cautious. "Enough pleasantries. Now… who you are and why are you here?" "I am Kour, Chief Guardian to the Priestess Amar and this is my apprentice, Orugarde. We seek your assistance. It is our understanding that you have been to the lower realm, the Nerayan." "And?…" "You escaped?" "Not exactly… but I suppose you could call it that. To put it in terms you would understand, I guess you could say I died. And then I came here. No different than anything any of you have not already experienced."
"I don't understand." "Of course you don't. That's because you don't remember. Unfortunately, I do. I remember everything. Every existence I've ever had, every face I've ever loved. I've seen the universes implode and renew, over time spans inconceivable to the small human mind…an eternity." "In all that you've seen, have the realms ever merged?" The Deva now frowned. "That would be an impossibility. They are different existences. They cannot merge." "Then we will need your assistance, Deva. Because the impossible has come true." The Deva raised her hand and released the two from their captive states. "Come with me. There are a few advantages to remembering past lives."